John Hebenton's Podcast

Lt Col Dr Cliff Simons. Cliff is a well-known historian, speaker and author who specialises in New Zealand's colonial and military history . He recently released the book: Soldiers, Scouts and Spies, a military history of the New Zealand Wars 1845-1864. Cliff will be placing the story of the early missionaries within the historical context so that we can understand the enormous contribution t...

John uses Luke 1:26-38  and the Magnificat to explore  who is Mary. How does this help us appreciate her role helping us be a disciple and live the way of love this Covid Christmas. What does Mary teach us about the way of love What difference does that make as we look to celebrating this Christmas Notes for this sermon can be found at https://colourfuldreamer.blogspot.com/2020/12/mary-our-icon.ht...

This has been a hard year for some. How have we done?  In light of that -  What is joy?  How do we nurture the seed of joy God plants within each one of us this year?  How do we witness to joy? What brings God joy? The notes for this sermon can be found here

John uses Isaiah and Mark to find hope and peace in this hard year. A wilderness year. Isaiah and Mark are all about the wilderness. If there was ever a year we need Isaiah it is this year. We hear worlds of hope for a people lost in the chaos and trauma of the exile, with words of God coming ready or not. So what does that mean for us preparing and waiting through this time of Advent?  We hear Jo...

John asks "What’s the Deal with the Reign of Christ Sunday?" He then explores that For Matthew the reign of Christ is described in Sermon on Mount and how that helps us read this last story of the final teaching block - the parable of the sheep and goats. How does this help us glimpse what the kingdom of heaven and the reign of Christ looks like. In light of that do we act to earn someth...

For nearly the last year we have been listening each week to Matthew' s Jesus story, where he states his understanding of who Jesus is -         How Jesus reveals nature of God -         What reign God- kingdom of heaven looks like -         taught by Jesus in sermon of Mount and particularly Beatitudes -         lived and teased out – rest of gospel John asks in light of that how do we read...

A discussion and sermon about Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the bridesmaids, some foolish and some street-wise.  We explore people’s reactions and questions and what this reading offer us in these times? John suggests we are invited to get ready to live lives of active waiting for reign of God, living for the long haul but looking for the surprising breakouts of the God’s justice, mercy, compass...

John uses the Deuteronomy reading and Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of it in his last sermon as a springboard to explore our vision of the “Promised Land”. We as a church have left Egypt and are in the wilderness, a place to be reminded of God's faithfulness and steadfastness.; that God sustains and nurtures us, and leads us to the promised land. In light of that, where are we heading to and h...

Bonnie Hebenton uses stories from the last week to explore what it means for us to be made in the image of God. She finishes by inviting us to look for God's image in others this week. You can read John's thoughts on this here

John explores how Matthew 22:1-14, the story of the King and the wedding feast,  is NOT a story about the nature of God and kingdom of Heaven. He suggests it is instead a critique of how Chief Priests and Jerusalem elite view the reign of God and their place in it John invites people to: reflect on the ways are we like the ungrateful one who did not wear the wedding robe In what ways are we like c...

We finish the Season of Creation by celebrating St. Francis of Assisi’s love of creation and all creatures who share this home with us. He lived a life of penance, making room for God and letting go of all that prevented him experiencing divine love within creation. He lived a life of penance so that he might make room to live God’s love for all John wonders, as we finish this season and give than...

Faye Mayo and David Elliot talk about St. George - the immigrant and the healer. We then have a conversation about what new thought stood out for us in what has been presented, and what having St. George as our patron saint offers us as a parish

During this Season of Creation, we are being invited to re-examine how we answer – whose are we, who are we, and what is ours to do? If God is the creator and Sustainer of all, who through the love for all creation lived in Jesus is renewing and restoring humanity and all creation – then who are we and what is ours to do? There are many competing claims to how we answer this which constantly call...

We continue with another Season of Creation living in the shadow of Covid-19. This sermon is part of the online service on September 13th, 2020, for the Anglican Parish of Gate Pa, Tauranga, New Zealand. Using both the readings set down for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time and those for the Season of Creation John suggests this season reminds us of the centrality of safeguarding the integrity of c...

We enter into another Season of Creation living in the shadow of Covid-19. This sermon uses both the readings set down for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time and those for the Season of Creation John offers a biblical base for giving priority to the common good and living for and in communion with all creation He explores what it might mean to be liberated by/take up our cross and follow Jesus and W...

For most of this year we have ended the prayer for the day with “Through Jesus Christ our Liberator”. What we mean by naming Jesus our liberator? All of this weeks passages (Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28) speak in some way of Liberation. John uses these passages to explore what we are liberated from and what we might be liberated into, and how they might speak about our place on...

Use my three questions to explore Matthew 16: 13-20, and nods to the bold women in Genesis and Paul’s renewal of mind. The three questions are - ·        Whose are we? ·        Who are we? ·        What is ours to do? In light of all that - where have we experienced/received God’s abundant generosity and compassion? What difference does that make? You can find the notes to this sermon here .

John explores how there is more than one way to understand most things -         Lock down -         Quarantining -         Jesus treatment of the Canaanite woman In all this lockdown level 2 means for us, let us take hold of sheer gift and abundance God’s blessing in this time. What gift do this weeks readings offer us as we settle into level 2. The notes for this sermon can be found here

Having a conversation exploring Peace Sunday from the perspective of the story of Jesus walking on the raging sea. Where do we here Jesus say “Be encouraged. It is I. Do not be afraid.” today? You can read the notes for this sermon here

John asks who are our role models of faith in the bible? For some it is Jacob, who wrestles with God for his whole story.  We are invited to wrestle with the story of Jesus being compelled to act, out of compassion, getting the disciples to feed 5000 men plus women and children.  ·         How does that help us into our celebration of eucharist? ·         What does that mean for us today? We are i...

What is the kingdom of heaven like? A careless farmer wasting his seed A gorse bush?  Yeast hidden is vast quantities of flour?  What images would we use and how do we make sense of these images? How do these images help us see see the reign of God/Kingdom of Heaven breaking into our world today? You can read the notes here

A sermon from the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, which was also Refugee Sunday,  exploring the themes of Refugee Sunday through the lens of the story of Rebekah, and Jesus’ yoke from Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30. How do we experience God’s faithfulness in all this? What is yoke of Jesus for us? The notes for this sermon can be found here

John explores the underlying message this week of God being the one who provides. How does the reading from Genesis 22:1-14 and from Matthew 10:40-42 help us explore this theme. I wonder -  Where is the invitation for us in this harvest festival? The notes for this sermon can be found here The service can be watched on our YouTube channel

As we regather for the second time, and prepare for our AGM, some reflections and questions. We have spent 10 years hearing about not having maps for how to do church anymore. We certainly had no maps for doing church over the last 3 months. We had to make it up as we went. Some questions to reflect on -  What was your best experience of church during the lock down What was the hardest thing What...

As we returned to our church building to worship  together, we spent some time hearing each other’s stories. We used four questions 1.     What was the most memorably good thing about lockdown 3 and 4? 2.     What was the hardest thing about lockdown 3 and 4 3.     What was the gift of this time? 4.  Where have you experienced the reign of heaven during this time? You can find the notes to this se...